Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government classifies the Solent as (a) an estuary or (b) open water.
Answered by John Hayes
The body of water defined as The Solent is neither classified as an estuary nor as open-water. The Solent is a strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. For the purposes of safe navigation and equipment requirements for ships, the Solent is classified as Category D waters, defined as ‘tidal rivers and estuaries where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 2.0 metres at any time’.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the cost of necessary infrastructure works on the Ryde Pier rail route will be funded by Network Rail; and whether such funding will be borne by the (a) public purse and (b) franchise.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The infrastructure on the Isle of Wight is owned by Network Rail and the responsibilities for maintenance and renewal of these assets is apportioned between Network Rail and the Train Operating Company (South Western Railway, SWR) under the terms of the lease between these organisations. This lease is due for renewal in 2019.
We would expect Network Rail to make provision for any routine maintenance and renewal works required within their overall cost base for activities for Control Period 6 and to reflect these in the renewed lease. Ultimately, costs falling to Network Rail are borne by the public purse.
In addition to this, South Western Railway are due to submit a costed option to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2018 in relation to the future operation of the Island Line. To the extent that this is acceptable, it may result in an adjustment to franchise payments made to Government by the franchisee. SWR are in the process of consulting with local stakeholders regarding options.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what obligations and timescales he has placed on the new South Western Railway under its franchise agreement on the introduction of faster trains from London Waterloo to (a) Portsmouth and (b) Southampton.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Train Service Specification is part of the Franchise Agreement and will see a recasting of the South Western timetables, in December 2018 and December 2020. December 2018 will see the introduction of the modified fleet of Class 442 trains on the Portsmouth Direct services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. While the contracted maximum journey times for off-peak services to both Portsmouth Harbour and Southampton Central are consistent with current fastest journey times, we are expecting to see journey time improvements arising from the December 2018 Timetable re-cast. South Western Railway, will be carrying out consultation with Stakeholders on the December 2018 timetable in the coming months.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) Network rail have made on the scale and timing of any required infrastructure works on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight, to ensure that there is no risk to the continued and long-term provision of rail services on that route; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the scale and timing of any required infrastructure works on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight
The infrastructure on the Isle of Wight is owned by Network Rail and the responsibilities for maintenance and renewal of these assets is apportioned between Network Rail and the Train Operating Company (South Western Railway, SWR) under the terms of the lease between these organisations. This lease is due for renewal in 2019.
The Department would expect Network Rail to make provision for any routine maintenance and renewal works required within their overall cost base for activities for Control Period 6 and to reflect these in the renewed lease.